SUMMARY MINUTES OF A BUDGET WORK SESSION
OF THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2002, AT 5:30 P.M.
Mayor Kevin Foy called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
Council members present were Pat Evans, Ed Harrison, Mark Kleinschmidt, Dorothy Verkerk, Jim Ward, and Edith Wiggins.
Council Member Flicka Bateman and Council Member Bill Strom were absent, excused.
Staff members present were Town Manager Calvin Horton, Assistant Town Manager Sonna Loewenthal, Assistant Town Manager Florentine Miller, Assistant to the Manager Bill Stockard, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, Finance Director Jim Baker, Police Chief Greg Jarvies, Fire Chief Dan Jones, Information Technology Director Bob Avery, and Town Clerk Joyce Smith.
Mayor Foy explained that Council Member Flicka Bateman was attending an Intergovernmental Parks Work Group meeting and that Council Member Bill Strom was at a Triangle Transit Authority meeting. He said they expected to be at the meeting later on in the evening.
Town Manager Cal Horton began by explaining that Governor Easley's action to retain funds that normally would be distributed to the Town had changed the budget process this year. He said he had asked the departments to present their budgets as they normally would have, adding that these budgets already had been constrained by expectations for a difficult year. Mr. Horton said that the budgets were based on conservative assumptions even though there had been encouraging information from the State legislature about the possibility of receiving at least some of the withheld funds. He stated that presenters would identify what they might do with additional funds if they had them. Mr. Horton noted that all who would report tonight had been working hard to identify cuts that probably would be necessary.
Mayor Foy pointed out that the Council had before it a group of budgets that had been developed since December. He explained that the Council would be looking at numbers that had been developed with a different budget outlook than the Town has because there had not been enough time for department heads to react to the severe budget shortfall that they now need to take into consideration. Mayor Foy noted that the Council would be looking at some requests that would not be achievable in next year's budget.
Mr. Horton said that these were the department heads' best estimates based on the conditions they had been expecting prior to the Governor's actions. Noting that he had not yet made his budget recommendations to the Council, Mr. Horton said that he believed this would be a worthwhile exercise because it identifies what is going well in the departments as well as areas that could be improved. Mayor Foy added that listening to the presentations would help the Town Council envision what might have been done if the State had not withheld Town funds and what might be done if those funds are released.
Council Member Wiggins asked if there would be another budget work session after the department heads have had a chance to deal with the impact of the Governor's actions. Mr. Horton explained that such sessions had not been scheduled but that there was no reason why there could not be.
Council Member Wiggins questioned the idea of looking at budget projections that are not realistic. Mr. Horton replied that the Council could delay this meeting until the departments have had an opportunity to identify changes. He added that it would not inconvenience the staff to delay and that going through the process of putting this together had been helpful to them.
Mayor Foy, noting that this was an unusual situation, said that the budget works sessions had been structured this way because the Council had wanted to have input early on. Although he understood Council Member Wiggins' comments, he said, tonight's presentations would give Council members the fullest picture they could get.
Council Member Ward asked if department heads would be able to identify where budget cuts might come from. Mr. Horton replied, "not in an organized way," explaining that there had been no opportunity to review any of the proposed ideas. He said that he and Finance Director Jim Baker had not had a chance to do the strategic assessment necessary to determine what the overall level of cuts might have to be.
Mayor Foy suggested that the Town Council proceed with the meeting, since there seemed to be no other way to do it this year. He suggested that Council members might want to appoint a small committee to work with the Manager.
Mayor pro tem Evans asked the Manager if he would come back with options, adding that she did not see a need for a committee since the Manager will not have many choices.
Mayor Foy and Mayor pro tem Evans expressed resistance to hearing the presentations twice, however, and Council Member Wiggins said that she would rather hear the second reports than the first. Mr. Horton pointed out that tonight's reports would allow Council members to react to a fairly well-formed idea and to test with department heads whether or not there are some strategies or options that might be viable a month from now. Council Member Wiggins argued that hearing from department heads now would leave less time later on when the Council should be most engaged in those discussions. Mr. Horton agreed that communities that do this later in the season are better able to take advantage of the economic situation regarding things that cannot be anticipated this early on.
Council Member Verkerk pointed out that hearing tonight's presentations would provide clarity on exactly what the Governor's action was doing to the Town.
Council Member Ward agreed with Council Member Wiggins that more time should be spent discussing real figures based on fiscal realities. He asked if it would be possible to present a slimmed down version of tonight's reports. Mayor Foy explained that the Town Council had asked for budget discussions to be structured this way.
Council Member Harrison expressed a preference for starting early so that he and the other new Council members could better understand the issues. He supported the suggestion to hear a slimmed-down version, if possible.
Mayor Foy commented that it would be useful to see budget projections based on earlier numbers, especially given the possibility that some of the funding might be restored. As an educational process, he said, this would not be a waste of time.
In response to a question by Council Member Evans, Mr. Horton said that he and Mr. Baker would most likely recommend a tax increase and a reduction in costs.
Mayor Foy noted that the Council also had the option of funding the budget with a 15-cent tax increase, since the problem was that the State is keeping the Town's money. Mr. Horton noted that the Council had challenged the staff to bring a budget with no tax increase. He said that the staff originally had thought it might be possible to do so, but that they no longer see it as a possibility. Mr. Horton pointed out that tonight's presentations would not include the reductions that he might have to recommend for consideration. He added that he would not make recommendations that would allow no tax increase because they would be too extreme given the present situation.
Mayor Foy suggested that the Council continue with the hearing and perhaps modify the upcoming Friday schedule, if necessary. He asked department heads to try and shorten their presentations to 20 minutes.
Item 1 - Finance Department
Director Jim Baker stated that the Finance Department provides financial oversight and direction to help the Town make the best possible use of its assets. He said that it does this by:
· Providing support for the budget process, including an accurate and informative budget document and estimate of Town expenses.
· Overseeing Town centralized purchasing and contracts.
· Monitoring the Town's fiscal position and providing for appropriate investments and borrowings.
· Providing payroll and accounts payable services
· Efficiently providing and maintaining accurate and informative financial records in a manner that supports the Town's operations and enables the Town to receive clean opinions by independent auditors.
· Providing centralized revenue collection services for all Departments and collection of taxes for Town and County citizens.
Mr. Horton suggested that Mr. Baker explain what unqualified opinions by independent auditor’s means. Mr. Baker said that it means an independent auditor has examined your financial statements and found that it meets all of the standard requirements of generally accepted accounting principles. It also means that there were no findings that anything was wrong with your report, and that it is complete and covers all financial transactions, he said.
Mr. Baker noted that there had been no revenues to offset costs this year. He pointed out that the two important base cost issues were in personnel. For next year, he recommended that one part-time Purchasing Technician position be eliminated and that the Town reduce the hours for one Buyer position. This would result in a reduction in personnel expenses, he said.
Mr. Baker explained that the projected increase in operating costs is primarily due to costs related to the computer system for financial accounting being transferred to the Accounting and Collections Division and the cost for technology being shown in the separate Technology Department budget. He noted that there also are some increases in the cost of maintenance and ongoing vendor support for the financial accounting system, adding that these are beyond the Department's control.
Mayor Foy inquired about the "increase in operating costs is due primarily to transfer of costs related to computer system" part of the report. Mr. Baker explained that there had previously been three divisions within the Finance Department: Administration and Purchasing, Accounting and Collections, and Technology, which included all of the computer operations and the financial accounting system that the Town uses. Now that they are separating these departments, Mr. Baker said, the Technology Department's budget will reflect everything having to do with computers and technology, except the part that is devoted to financial accounting. Mr. Baker noted that about $46,000 worth of expenses will now be shown in the Technology Division of the Finance Department's budget and that the Technology Department's budget will be reduced by that amount.
Mayor Foy asked Mr. Baker what potential cuts he might propose. Mr. Baker replied that he was not sure, noting that most of his expenses were basic operating costs and that some have increased.
Council Member Wiggins noted that this statement was at the end of all the presentations and that this was why she had argued for getting to the heart of the matter. Mr. Horton commented that he had asked the departments to present a basic budget and that none of them, except for the Transportation Department, would be asking for new programs. Mr. Horton said that every department probably would respond as Mr. Baker had because they do not yet know what the Town will demand of them.
Mayor Foy asked how the staff planned to present the information. Mr. Horton replied that it would be presented department by department, function by function, item by item, just as in the past. He added that in some cases it would include an item for restoration if funds become available.
Item 2 - Information Technology Department
Mr. Horton explained that the Town had already started operating as though the Technology Department had been formed as recommended by the Technology Committee.
Technology Department Head Bob Avery explained that the Department's primary mission was to provide insight and direction to help the Town make the best possible use of available technology. He showed on a map the locations that the wide-area network will serve throughout the Town, including 260 desktop computers and 30 servers. Mr. Avery then listed the key services that the Department provides:
· Provide the structure, equipment, software, and support for staff, citizens and other interested parties to use Town information efficiently within a secure environment.
· Oversee procurements, operation, and maintenance of computer systems, network services and related equipment.
· Develop and maintain Internet related information services including the Town's website.
· Provide support for departmental data services.
Mr. Avery listed the services that are going well:
· Preliminary steps to establish the Information Technology Department have been completed with minimal disruption to on-going programs. The Finance Department has allocated additional space to support IT functions and continues to provide assistance for departmental operations.
· Desktop computers and servers have been replaced and upgraded over the past three years to provide a reliable equipment base. Continuing the life cycle procurement program is critical to maintaining this base.
· Wide Area Network services are being upgraded as a result of vendor changes brought on by vendor financial difficulties. The new services will add support for several additional Town facilities, including all fire stations and recreation centers. In addition, public access to the Town's information resources will be improved by the faster access speed.
· Support for Town staff has been improved by the addition of a full-time employee to provide user help and training.
Mr. Avery said that the following programs or services could be improved:
· Enhancements for the Town's website have been delayed. This is in part due to delays in completion of the wide area network changes and hardware upgrades to our web servers. Current budget cutbacks have further delayed development plans. Web site enhancements remain a high priority.
· Implementation of a web complaint database system is required to support a number of web related features such as public requests and feedback. The database system will allow efficient tracking and monitoring of responses.
· Growth in both volume and complexity of electronic documents has required updates to server storage capability however electronic workflow processes and electronic management procedures of documents for staff use, public access, and archive require further development.
Mr. Avery showed a graph indicating an unusual number of hits on the Town's web site this year due to a snowstorm, students returning to Town, and the new bus service all converging. Mr. Horton interjected that this was one of the sites used to determine how effective the systems are, especially in reducing personnel costs, because it would not have been possible to manage this many inquiries without it.
Council Member Wiggins requested a copy of the graph so that she could study the information in more detail.
Mayor Foy wondered if it was possible to determine how many people were using the site for a single purpose, such as figuring out the transit system. Mr. Horton replied that they could determine which sites were the most popular and which ones receive the largest number of hits.
In response to a question by Council Member Harrison, Mr. Avery explained that the Town has thirty servers, but that this number might change over time.
Council Member Kleinschmidt asked where the cost savings were coming from, and Mr. Avery explained that they had taken the combined budget and divided it between two departments. Mr. Horton pointed out that the comparison should be made between the total budget for last year's Finance Department and the combined budgets of this year's two departments. He added that Mr. Baker would provide those comparative figures. Mr. Avery pointed out that the cost of contracted services to support the financial system had increased as well.
Mr. Baker stated that the base budget for this year had been about $1,280,000 and that next year's requested budget is $1,298,000, which is an increase of about $18,000. Council Member Kleinschmidt verified that the additional full time employee had not been included in the projected budget.
Council Member Strom asked if the Technology Committee had recommended the full time employee last year. Mr. Avery replied that they had.
Council Member Ward said that it would help him decide to add staff if he could see some cost savings or specific efficiencies or improvements to a system where there are documented needs for improvements. Mr. Horton stressed that storage of information was becoming a problem that would be eliminated by transferring it to an electronic medium. He said that public demand for ease of interaction also requires more technology.
Council Member Ward inquired about security. He also asked if there was a fee that was based on public demand. Mr. Horton replied that under North Carolina law the information is basically free. Regarding the security question, Mr. Avery explained that the Town maintains a firewall between the Town's network and the Internet, as well as anti-virus software.
Council Member Verkerk asked about the longevity of some of the materials and about how long the Town must keep records. Mr. Avery replied that the Town has an optical disk recorder that has about a 30-year lifetime capability and can then be transferred to a newer system. Mr. Horton explained that the Town will convert from one medium to another as technology changes and will have multiple storage media for some records.
Council Member Wiggins asked about the full-time employee's function to handle the growing data services support in anticipation of the possible passing of a rental licensing ordinance. Mr. Avery replied that the request for the employee was not specifically related to that, although that would be part of it. He said that they now have 20 different vendors supporting 20 databases, and they want to interconnect those systems with the existing network. So, he said, they are focusing mainly on those rather than a rental database, although a rental database would be consistent with those.
Council Member Wiggins asked if the employee would be the one involved with management of rental licensing. Mr. Horton replied that s/he would not. Mr. Avery added that the Inspections Department wants someone to actually enter data whereas the Technology Department wants someone to maintain systems that contain the data.
Item 3 - Police Department
Police Chief Greg Jarvies said that revenue was projected to be about 20% higher next year because of the funding for five police officers at the two high schools and three at the middle schools. He noted that all of the federal grants that they had received over the past seven years for community police officers or major equipment have expired. The availability of those funds will be significantly decreased from now on, he said.
Chief Jarvies pointed out that he was presenting a budget with a 0% increase. Mr. Horton added that there would be some increase in personnel costs, though, because of the pay increase that the Town had authorized last year and because of some merit increases that might come into play.
Regarding the Police Department's workload, Chief Jarvies explained that calls for service and the patrol utilization rate had each increased by 10% this year. He said that the Town was right at the 40% recommended limit for the patrol utilization rate. Chief Jarvies pointed out that major crimes were up 29% for the first six months of the year, DWI arrests were up by 25%, and traffic citations had increased by 23% during the same period. He noted, however, that there had been a decrease in traffic accidents.
Chief Jarvies stated that for the first six months of 2001-2002 the Department had an average of 16 police officers (25%) that were unavailable for duty due to injuries, vacancies and other health limitations. On average, he said, about 10% of patrol officers are unavailable and recruitment and retention problems are ongoing. Chief Jarvies noted the need for expanded police coverage at Northside. He recommended preparing for the anticipated growth at Meadowmont, and said that police coverage should be expanded in specialty units, such as traffic enforcement, the education unit, and the Downtown foot patrols. Acknowledging the financial limitations that the Town was under, Chief Jarvies said that he would continue to seek grant funds. He noted that the Department would continue to need the Town's help, though, adding that Chapel Hill's starting salary for police officers is below that of Carrboro, Cary, Durham, the Orange County Sheriff's Department, and the UNC Police Department.
Mayor Foy asked why Greensboro and UNC offered a differential and the Town does not. Chief Jarvies replied those were for recruits with four-year college degrees and reflected a trend throughout the country to recruit only college graduates.
Chief Jarvies noted that the Town has both uniformed and covert patrols in the Northside community, as well as residential revitalization programs, neighborhood outreach, expanded community watch, a youth initiative, and a summer youth employment program. He referred to a program for youth and adults in the public housing communities, and noted that it is losing funding. Chief Jarvies explained that the drug enforcement task force had concentrated primarily on the Downtown and the Northside community.
In response to Chief Jarvies comment about the number of repeat offenders, Mayor Foy asked if those had been convicted or not. Chief Jarvies replied that most offenders were getting convicted but were then out on bail and not serving time. He explained that the Department tracks every arrest, adding that one officer spends 40% of his time in the courts. Nevertheless, the cycle continues, he said.
Council Member Wiggins asked who would ultimately be responsible for solving the problem and if any progress was being made toward solving it. Chief Jarvies replied that the Police Department had not made progress regarding incarceration rates but had made progress in setting geographic or curfew restrictions on those on pretrial release. Enforcing that and getting violators' sentences invoked is the problem, he said, adding that typically the court merely extends the probation or makes it stricter.
Council Member Wiggins asked how citizens who are victims of this can be protected. Chief Jarvies replied that it requires a combination of what they have done and what they are doing, which is to have effective patrols, better technology for tracking crime trends, neighborhood revitalization efforts, and homeownership. All of those factors, combined with trying to get private property owners to enter into agreements that would allow the police to act as their agents, would be effective, he said. Chief Jarvies stressed that continued communication with residents was most important, so that they will feel that there is some benefit to participating. Council Member Wiggins asked if these efforts would be suspended until there is more grant money. Chief Jarvies replied that expansion of current programs might have to be limited, but they will not be decreased. If staff is not cut then they will be able to add to the areas in most need, he said.
Council Member Wiggins asked where the money would come from if the federal grants have expired. Mr. Horton replied that the staff had, with the Council's urging, budgeted the necessary funds to replace federal funding over a period of time. None of those positions will have to be reduced, he said, adding that the challenge was to find additional federal funding for additional police. Mr. Horton said that the Town will do its best to provide matching funds if grant money becomes available. Council Member Wiggins said that she would hate to see the Town not move forward due to lack of grant money. She pointed out that Northside is likely to experience an increase in drug-related crimes during hard economic times. She stressed that this is the time to intensify so that this community does not feel the brunt of the economic crisis.
Mayor Foy asked if Monday's agenda item regarding Sykes Street would include information on policing. Mr. Horton replied that it will say that the Town is still trying to identify sources of grant funding. He remarked that whether or not the Town adds police officers this year is a matter for the Council to decide because it is the Council which determines priorities for the community. Noting that he has not yet made a budget recommendation, Mr. Horton stated that it was highly unlikely that he would recommend adding police officers. He said that he could, however, identify how much it would cost to add one and the Council could take it from there.
Council Member Verkerk inquired about whether or not human service agencies could fill some of the gaps regarding community outreach programs where grant money is running out. Chief Jarvies said that they had begun discussions with human services agencies to see what portion of the gap they might be able to pick up.
Regarding traffic enforcement, Chief Jarvies reported that pedestrian and bicycle accidents had decreased. He said that the Police Department had responded to more than 200 requests from citizens last year for special enforcement in their neighborhoods. He stated that they would continue traffic enforcement in the central business district as well as their efforts to educate thousands of people each year with safety education outreach programs. Chief Jarvies said that the Department will retain the Civilian Security Monitor Program, which had increased by 33% in the past year, and is about halfway toward its goal of having a mobile data terminal in every main patrol car. He added that the Police Department needs the hardware and software to investigate crimes and will continue to look at that new technology as well as that being developed to analyze and identify evidence.
Council Member Ward determined from Chief Jarvies that the salaries being compared to UNC police officer's salaries were base police salaries and did not include the full compensation package. Mr. Horton explained that the information that is ultimately brought to the Council always includes the full compensation package with a comparison of benefits. He said that he would present that in time for Council budget considerations.
Council Member Ward asked about red light camera technology. Chief Jarvies said that he did not think there would be a savings in staff time with these cameras, since red light violations do not represent a significant portion of total citations.
Regarding salaries, Mayor Foy wondered if compression would be an issue with police salaries. He asked if the Town Manager could provide that data. Mr. Horton agreed to provide the data, but said that a preliminary look at it shows the Town's Police Department as below the median pretty much across the board. He pointed out that it would be difficult to catch up because of budgetary limitations.
Council Member Wiggins asked if it was a departmental goal to become accredited and if the Police Department was disadvantaged when seeking grant money because it is not accredited. Chief Jarvies acknowledged that the Department was at a disadvantage, but added that the accreditation process is expensive, extremely labor-intensive, and requires additional staffing. He added that it also might hamstring Chapel Hill with standards that are more applicable to larger cities.
Council Member Evans thanked the Police Department for the increased police presence in the downtown.
Council Member Wiggins expressed appreciation for the caliber and demeanor of the police officers.
Item 4 - Fire Department
Fire Chief Dan Jones highlighted the Fire Department's services:
· Fire Suppression
· First Responder--Emergency Medical
· Vehicle Extrication and Basic Rescue
· Fire Code Enforcement through an Inspection Program
· Disaster Management and Emergency Operations Center
· Public Education through in-house and outreach programs
· Fire Cause and Determination Investigations
· Contact Department for citizens' inquiries/safety and environmental
· Development of domestic preparedness capability
Chief Jones noted that this year was a zero-based budget. He pointed out, though, that the decrease in capital and operating accounts was due to a blip in last year's budget associated with moving to the new station. It was also because the Department's budget is about 87% personnel costs, he said, and the new fire station required 12 additional firefighters. Building Fire Station #5 and purchasing a new piece of apparatus for that fire station have been the most significant issues that the Department has brought before the Council in recent years, he said. Chief Jones pointed out that both of these were built and purchased with bond dollars.
Chief Jones noted that the new station opened on a somewhat limited basis in early January and is not yet complete. In fiscal year 1999-2000, the Council approved a special squad unit at Fire Station #3, he said, which included an OSHA requirement to add personnel and reduce the call volume on the 73,000-lb tower truck. He reported that they had added a number of rescue tools and some bio-terrorism equipment in the last year, as well as the training to go with it. Chief Jones noted that the Fire Department had received a federal grant this year for $183,000 for a fire equipment enhancement program to upgrade their breathing apparatus to state-of-the-art equipment. He said that this would be delivered the following Friday.
Chief Jones highlighted programs that were going well, including the First Responder Program that has an average response time of four minutes. He said that this had lead to an increase in the survival rate of heart attack victims from 5% top 25%. Also, the Public Education Program had been getting such a positive response that the Department had received requests from teachers outside Chapel Hill to bring kids to Chapel Hill's fire stations for field trips, he said.
Regarding areas that could be improved, Chief Jones explaining that the diversity and complexity of their programs and capabilities had lead to the need for a full-time Training Officer. He noted that the Burn Building needed to be completed and upgraded so that it could be fully useable for live fire training, adding that the Department hoped to obtain a federal grant for that. He said that operational staffing would have to be increased, and that he will make recommendations in the coming year. Chief Jones remarked that some federal funds might become available for this.
Council Member Strom, noting that New York City’s firefighters' radio equipment had not been adequate during the World Trade Center bombings on September 11, 2001, asked if the Town had the correct equipment to insure that Chapel Hill's firefighters are safe. Chief Jones replied that the Town had the same equipment that the firefighters in New York had, adding that Orange County has hired a radio consultant to look at radio systems (law enforcement, fire, EMS, public works) County-wide and evaluate the current system. Chief Jones said that the consultant will most likely recommend going to some sort of trunking system where all of the agencies in the different jurisdictions can share a master system that will allow cross-agency communication in times of disaster. Mr. Horton added that one goal is to be able to communicate in the deep interior of some of the very large University buildings, and that this might require installing equipment in the buildings.
Council Member Ward asked if the Department had had any experience with infrared goggles. Chief Jones replied that they had been useful in locating hidden fires that previously would have taken much longer to find. He said that the Department had not yet had the situation where they had to rely on them to save someone's life.
Council Member Harrison asked if the ratio of false alarms to suppressed fires (1300 to 900-1000) was a particularly bad ratio and/or the result of Chapel Hill being a University town. Chief Jones replied that the cause was that it is a University town and that the ratio actually is down from what it was a few years ago due to improved technology in some of the University's alarm systems. He added that Chapel Hill has fewer false alarms than other University towns but the rate is significantly higher than towns the size of Chapel Hill that do not have universities. Council Member Harrison described the ratio as "pretty appalling," and pointed out the operational cost.
Council Member Wiggins asked what percentage of those false alarms were at residences not on the University's campus. Chief Jones did not know the exact figure, but said that the majority were at the University even though the number from residences was increasing. Council Member Wiggins asked Mr. Horton if he still was opposed to charging for false alarms. Mr. Horton replied that he felt it was better to encourage people to have alarm systems and expect that they will malfunction on occasion. He noted that elderly people, in particular, can become so concerned about cost that they will disconnect burglar and fire alarm systems. Mr. Horton argued that the Town was better off as a community to bear the expense of alarms and to encourage people to have systems put in.
Council Member Wiggins asked if the Town recoups any of the cost from the University. Chief Jones replied, "not specifically related to that issue." Mr. Horton pointed out that the University pays into the State's self insurance program and a portion of that comes back to the Town as part of the State's fire protection support. He noted that the University also has been systematically retrofitting its buildings with very good fire protection and alarm systems, which has cut down on the number of small fires that would have cost the Town much trouble and expense. Mr. Horton acknowledged that heat and smoke detection systems do cause a lot of alarms, but pointed out that answering alarms is part of having systems in place.
Council Member Wiggins asked if many of the alarms were the result of vandalism. Chief Jones replied that vandalism was a problem but had become less problematic in recent years because housing and campus police actively pursue it. Mr. Horton stated that he would come to the Council with a proposal if it came to a point where the Town needed to be concerned about false alarms.
Council Member Evans asked if there was a fine for disarming alarm systems as some of the Greek houses had done. She also asked how often the Fire Department inspects the Greek houses. Chief Jones replied that the Department attempts to inspect the houses twice a year, adding that it is difficult to find a responsible person or an on-site manager to meet with. Council Member Evans encouraged Chief Jones to start issuing citations for this offense. Mr. Horton offered to explore fashioning an ordinance that would require owners of each Greek house to have an authorized agent who would be required to meet with the Fire Department for inspections. Council members agreed with this proposal by consensus.
Item 5 - Legal Department
Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos explained that his budget included two salaries, a line item for professional services, and materials and equipment. He noted that the estimated increase in the professional services budget was related to what they might need when implementing the rental licensing program. Mr. Karpinos said that the budget also reflected an increased effort to enforce zoning and other Town ordinances, since a number of them involve provisions which can result in appeals to the Board of Adjustment. Such appeals would mean that the Town would provide two attorneys, he explained, which means hiring an outside attorney. Mr. Karpinos added that not having an attorney at every Board of Adjustment meeting would be one cost-cutting measure that might be considered this spring.
Mr. Karpinos said that he was continuing to downsize his library and that there might be some general Town savings in this area in the long run. He said that technology had helped keep his library expenses down, had reduced some subscription expenses, and had allowed the Department to perform much more efficiently with what they have.
Item 7 - Mayor/Council/Manager/Clerk
Town Clerk Joyce Smith explained that the proposed budget in the Mayor's office reflected a 12.9% increase in Operations, due primarily to an increase in the Supplies line item to replace furniture and the estimated cost of telephone usage for the coming year. Ms. Smith explained that the Town Council's budget reflected an increase in operations of 5.5%, almost totally due to the increase in professional dues to the Triangle J Council of Governments and the League of Municipalities. She explained that these fees are based on population, and were calculated based on the increased 2000 census figures.
In the Manager’s Office, Ms. Smith said, the increase in Operations was 1.8%, due to the increase in the Audit Contract and an increase in the telephone usage charges. She then listed the services which were going well and highlighted in the Manager's budget:
· Response to service and information requests to citizens and to the Town Council
· General management of daily operations of the Town
· Development of the operating budget within the Council's guidelines.
Services highlighted for improvement include:
· Enhancing the Town's public information services, and the marketing of Town services, through a variety of means, including the increased use of email and continuous upgrading of the Town's website.
· Improving budget evaluation activities.
Ms. Smith noted that the proposed budget for the Clerk's office reflected a 16.6% decrease in operations, due primarily to the deletion of expenses for the local election. Those expenses will be included again in election year 2003-2004, she said. Ms. Smith listed the following services as going well:
· The Council minutes are competed within two weeks and stay current.
· The Town Code of Ordinances continues to be update and published on schedule. Revisions are distributed to the staff within two days of a change so that Code books in all departments are kept updated.
· Requests for information from citizens and staff are nearly always filled the same day and certainly within two days unless it is a major request that takes research.
Among services that could be improved, Ms. Smith listed updating the citizen mailing lists for a more efficient response to requests for services. She noted that the database for electronic communication is upgraded as information is received.
Ms. Smith stated that Council agenda packets are prepared and delivered on schedule unless materials are received late or the packet is of such bulk that it cannot be copied and distributed to Council members by a reasonable hour on Wednesday evening. She explained that the Clerk's Office was moving toward digitally scanning documents provided for Council packets that are not provided in electronic form, and plan to begin posting those complete packets on the website beginning with the March 4 business meeting packet. This will enable the Clerk's Office to post complete agenda packets for public use on the web, she said.
Ms. Smith pointed out that she was not requesting any additions this year. Because of the financial crisis, she said, the Clerk's Office would also propose additional reductions to the Manager.
Mayor Foy asked how much time it takes to publish the minutes, and wondered if they could be provided digitally instead. Ms. Smith explained that they were published twice, first in draft form for the Council's comments and then later as a final draft for the packet. Mayor Foy asked how often Council members made changes, and Ms. Smith and Mr. Horton said that changes were rarely made. Mr. Horton pointed out that it would be easy to provide a draft through email, but added that the staff would still provide paper copies to those who prefer them. Mayor Foy suggested that Council members let Ms. Smith know their preferences.
Council Member Strom praised the Clerk's Office for their efforts to scan documents, and asked what the deadline was for posting the agenda. Ms. Smith replied that it was noon on Friday before a Monday meeting, but pointed out that her staff usually had it posted earlier, sometimes by noon on Thursday. She noted that it probably would take most of Thursday to scan large packets. Council Member Strom inquired about the source of information that needs to be scanned. Ms. Smith replied that it came "from all sources," including citizens who write letters, petitions, and copies of letters received from other sources, to name a few.
Council Member Strom commented that the packet always would be a "threshold issue" which probably will not get out until Friday. Mr. Horton agreed, adding that there might be times when it would not get out until the following Monday.
Mayor Foy asked if information such as renderings for stormwater management or placement, or lot sizes for Special Use Permits come in electronic form. Ms. Smith replied that sometimes they do and sometimes they do not. She said that the Clerk's Office had begun requiring it and the Planning Department had been helpful in the effort to get developers to provide as much in electronic format as possible. But some documents, such as maps, must be scanned in, she said.
Ms. Smith noted that her Office would soon have equipment that will permit backup copies of postings on the web to be burned onto CDs and filed for as long as necessary. She said that she had deleted the funds for microfilming from her budget because her Office would be producing its own CDs rather than keeping microfilm.
Council Member Harrison asked how much time would generally pass before minutes would be electronically available on the website. Ms. Smith replied that the minutes would be on the website as soon as they are on the Agenda. She added, though, that they are available as soon as she receives them in draft form, on average ten working days after the meeting.
Council Member Evans asked if the Clerk's Office breaks down how much information is requested by local citizens versus how much is requested from outside Town limits and the Council. She predicted that the number of hits to the web site should go down as information is provided. Ms. Smith agreed that it should diminish, but noted as an example that she had just received a request form the University for a weekly agenda packet even though that information is available on the website.
Council Member Wiggins explained that this was the University's attempt to get it earlier. Mr. Horton said that he was not sure that the staff would be able to honor that request. If they do this for the University, he said, they would be obligated to do it for any citizen who requests it. Ms. Smith explained that doing so could add to overtime since her staff frequently works late on Wednesday evenings to get packets ready. One more packet, she said, could add 30-45 minutes to that overtime production time.
Council Member Ward asked Ms. Smith to find out what kind of cost savings or increases would be involved in moving toward an electronic packet. She agreed to do so.
Council Member Wiggins praised the organization and information gathering ability of the Clerk's Office, noting that Ms. Smith can retrieve information with very little information to go on.
Council Member Harrison also thanked the Clerk's staff for helping him retrieve information quickly and efficiently.
Mayor Foy asked Council members if they wanted to shorten the upcoming meeting on Friday or stay with the planned 3-1/2 hour schedule.
Council Member Wiggins wondered when the Council would schedule time to do what they ordinarily would have done. Mr. Horton said that this probably would occur in April or May. He noted that nine departments would make presentations on Friday, adding that it would be difficult to do the meeting in less than the allotted time. Council members agreed to keep the schedule.
The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.